


Floating in a blue lagoon

by Glowcloudwasright



Category: Lumberjanes
Genre: And it involves lots of flare and cheesiness, And it involves songs from the little mermaid, F/F, Jo is dying to kiss April and make things official, Mal had a plan to help her, Slight Diane/Hes, Slight Mal/Molly, also mermaids, because of course
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:15:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24245635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glowcloudwasright/pseuds/Glowcloudwasright
Summary: Jo asks Mal for help to make things official with April, but the thing is, Mal will help her but won't tell her her plan. Now they're in the middle of the lake left alone for the surprise of their lives.
Relationships: April/Jo (Lumberjanes)
Kudos: 10





	Floating in a blue lagoon

**Author's Note:**

> Did you know there were so many covers if Kiss the girl from The little mermaid? I had no idea. Now if I may suggest, listening to either Ashley Tisdale's cover or Jonathan Young's cover both work, I'm obssesed with both, depends on your music taste.

It was a one of the most beautiful evenings of that summer at camp, and there were Mal and Jo, inside their cabin, relaxing after a fairly slow day on camp activities. Maybe not relaxing, rather, scheming; mostly Mal.

“You think this’ll work?” Asked Jo, staring at what Mal described as a perfect plan, but all Jo could see was a few scribbles and doodles on a sheet of paper.

“Of course! When has one of my plans failed?” Replied Mal, with a smug smile.

“Never, but they have gone south really fast.” Jo gave her the paper back.

“That’s why I always a plan B and C ready.” Mal folded the paper and put it in her vest pocket. “Which we won’t need because this is foolproof.”

The girls were sitting on Mal’s bunk, as they had been, scribbling Mal’s “big plan”. Jo was starting to regret asking her for help.

“I’m not sure…” Said Jo, who doubted the legitimacy of the whole thing.

“Hey, do you want to kiss April?” Asked Mal, making sure Jo was focused on her.

“Yes, that’s why I asked for your help.”

“And you want it to be really special, right?”

“Of course, this is April we are talking about.” Jo stated, not knowing where this exchange was going.

“Indeed. And the only thing April loves more than swords, besides, well, you-“ Now Jo felt like she was red of embarrassment, if she wasn’t already. “is theatrics, big gestures.”

“She does, but I don’t want our first kiss to be a show for the whole camp. I’m not even sure how she feels about me.”

“Okay, first of all, she’s head over heels for you. Everybody knows that. Even the yetis know that.”

Jo groaned, falling back on the bed and covering her face with a pillow.

“And second!” Mal took the pillow away from Jo’s face. “You don’t have to worry; it’ll be completely private and sweet.”

Jo shifted to face Mal once again.

“Okay but what even IS the plan? You aren’t telling me anything.”

“I’m telling you all you need to know.”

Jo lifted her hand in front of Mal and started listing with her fingers every aspect of the plan Mal had shared with her, which weren’t that many.

“So far you’ve only told me we need to be on a canoe sitting across from each other, which isn’t even how you row on a canoe, and that you’ll give me a “sign”.” Jo made sure to make air quotations at the last word.

“That’s all you need to know!” Mal defended, moving Jo’s hand from in front of her.

“Mal what the junk?!”

Jo sat up, exasperated at the secrecy behind the plan that was supposed to help her.

“Ok, I’m sorry. But Jo, do you trust me?” Mal now sounded serious.

“What does that have to do with anythi-”

“Jo, do you trust me?!” She half shouted.

“Yes! Yes I do!” Jo surrendered.

“Okay, perfect!” Mal smiled at her friends answer, satisfied.

Jo was still confused and maybe even more nervous about the whole thing tan before.

“But how would I even know if I’m doing the right thing?” Jo asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

“Trust me, you’ll know.”

Jo groaned once more. The lack of detail in Mal’s plan wasn’t very promising, but deep down Jo trusted her friend, so they went over the few details Mal was willing to share once more, just to make sure.

The dinner bell interrupted them, signaling the campers to go to the Mess hall, were the girls would reunite with the rest of the Roanokes. 

“Tomorrow morning then?” Asked Mal, standing up from the bed and extending a hand for Jo to stand up too.

Jo grabbed the smaller girl’s hand and stood up. “I guess.”

“Yeah! 13 hours officially for hour zero.” Mal pointed to a nonexistent clock on her wrist.

Both girls marched towards the Mess hall, hungry after all that planning, but Jo wasn’t sure she would be able to eat a thing with the feeling of butterflies in her stomach getting increasingly worse by the minute.

That night after lights out, Mal snuck a note up to Molly’s bed, which read “Super awesome plan to get Jopril sailing” on big bold letters, followed a list depicting many many more details that Mal hadn’t mention to Jo.

After a few minutes, Molly threw back a paper at Mal’s bunk, signed by her and Ripley.

“We’re in! <3”

Mal mouthed a big “YES” careful not to wake anyone up and putting away the paper. She would have to talk to a lot of people tomorrow morning. And to a lot of non-people too.

It was now the morning after, at around 8 am or “60 minutes for hour zero” as Mal had put it, before running away to get “the plan” up and running. Jo was standing next to the small canoe dock by the lake, paddle in hand and pacing around, waiting for April.

As she had predicted, the butterflies in her stomach hadn’t stopped; in fact, they were getting increasingly worse, and Jo was sure they weren’t even butterflies anymore. Perhaps bats or baby pterodactyls were more accurate now.

Jo kept thinking about Mal’s plan and what exactly it could even be. She had seen her running around camp before breakfast, carrying various things and talking to several people. Jo couldn’t even tell which of those things had anything to do with the mysterious plan and which ones were just stuff Mal was carrying around. It also caught Jo’s attention the very noticeable absence of Ripley all morning until breakfast and how she came back to the Mess hall wet like she had gone swimming and the whispered conversations Molly had with the people of Zodiac cabin, including a very excited Barney.

This was all too much for Jo; she wasn’t used to have so little information about something that affected her so directly and it certainly wasn’t helping with her nerves. What if this was all too much and she freaked April out? What if she had somehow misread all that hand holding and long stares from the weeks before and April didn’t feel the same way? Or what if everything, whatever it was, simply went wrong and Jo wasn’t even able to tell?

Honestly, why couldn’t Mal just tell her the dang plan?!

“Hey, Jo!” Suddenly hearing April’s voice startled Jo, who made a sound that could only be described as “eep” and dropped her paddle.

“Woah, lost in thought much?” The smaller girl joked.

Jo picked her paddle up and gave April a nervous smile.

“Kind of.”

“Well, get your head in the game! The sea waits for no one.” Said April, putting on her life saver and picking up a paddle for herself.

“Thank Zaha Hadid this is a lake then.” Jo joked back, putting on her life saver. 

She was still nervous, but being able to joke around with April like that always made her feel better, relaxed.

“Technicalities.” April waved her off. “Are you ready to go, though?”

A big eager smile adorned April’s face, who held her paddle up at her friend. Jo thought she looked adorable, but to be fair, she always thought April looked adorable.

“Heck yes.” She answered.

Jo and April were now by the middle of the lake, paddling towards the small uncharted island they had found weeks ago, as Mal had instructed Jo before running off to who knows where. 

“So, why did you want to come canoeing today? We already have all our nautical badges.” Asked April, curious.

Sadly, Jo hadn’t had the time to think of an excuse, and was now panicking in silence.

“W-well, because… We…”She looked around for inspiration. “Haven’t been canoeing in a while and I wanted to check the small island with you.”

“It’s so weird, right? Why is it still uncharted?” April’s focus was shifted back to the small island and Jo sighed in relief.

“I’m not sure, maybe it’s too small.” Said Jo. Maybe thinking about the island would relax her.

“Or maybe it doesn’t want to be charted!” Chimed in April.

“I don’t think the island gets a saying in that.” Jo answered, laughing slightly.

“You don’t know that.” Countered April, splashing her friend with the water around them and laughing along.

Jo responded the attack, until the laughter made them stop.

“Well, even if it’s not a magical sentient island, I like exploring with you.” Said April after catching her breath.

“I like exploring with you too, April.” Answered Jo, a subtle blush creeping on her cheeks.

If it hadn’t been for the shadow of the trees around them, Jo would have seen the small blush that crept on April’s face too.

“Hey, Ape? I’ve actually been meaning to talk to you about something.” Jo said. Maybe this wasn’t Mal’s plan, but it felt like it was the right time, she only hoped she wasn’t wrong about it.

“Sure, what is it?”

“Well, I-“

“Wait.” April interrupted her, looking around the lake. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Asked Jo.

From her hiding spot near the shore, Mal tuned on her radio and signaled for “Super awesome plan to get Jopril sailing” to begin.

“Okay, everyone ready?”

“Mama bear here, all good on dock.” Jen reported. “And remember to be back with the canoe on time, this is not an scheduled activity.”

“Ready here, Mal-Um, I mean, Cupid.” Barney radioed back from his spot in the island with Emily, who dropped water lilies into the water, for the current to carry towards the objective.

“Green giant and Bath bomb ready. Over.” Signaled back Molly, who, with Ripley released lightning bugs that would fly towards the canoe.

“String quartet ready.” Radioed back one of their mermaid friends, who were all tuned up and ready for performance. 

Mal pushed the volume of the mermaid’s speakers up, while Wren and Mackenzie hoped their sound ensemble had been enough.

“Yeah, whatever.” Said Diane, not really eager to use the code names Mal provided.

“Moose and Deer all ready, Cupid.” Hes answered, after taking the radio from her girlfriend, who then played her part summoning a soft almost golden magical mist around the canoe.

“Why am I even the deer? I hunt deer.” Diane’s complain was heard through the radio channel.

“We’re up and running team!” Said Mal, excited to see her plan come to life.

_Kiss the girl…_

_There you see her_

_Sitting there across the way_

_She don't got a lot to say_

_But there's something about her_

“What the junk?” Jo thought.

The familiar melody filled the air around them, with a few new arrangements of electric guitar and drums that made the song a little more upbeat and, as Mal had put it “hardcore”.

_And you don't know why_

_But you're dying to try_

_You wanna kiss girl_

Jo kept looking around, trying to see were the music was coming from, no use, since the golden mist started to cover the surface of the lake around them.

“What is this?” Asked April, smiling wide and moving her fingers through the mist.

“I-I’m not sure.” Answered Jo truthfully, because what the junk was all this?

_Yes, you want her_

_Look at her, you know you do_

_It's possible she wants you too_

_There's one way to ask her_

_It don't take a word, not a single word_

_Go on and kiss the girl (kiss the girl)_

Soon, hundreds of beautiful lily pads and flowers filled the water around the canoe, the scent covering up the usual smell of moss that surrounded the island. April reached to the water to grab one of the water lilies around her. Despite her confusion and slight fear, Jo couldn’t help but notice how much beautiful the water lily was now that it was on April’s hands.

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

_My, oh my_

_Looks like the girl's too shy_

_Ain't gonna kiss the girl_

_Sha-la-la-la-la-la_

_Ain't that sad_

_It's such a shame, too bad_

_You're gonna miss the girl_

Jo had a hard time focusing on her surroundings with the very clear message of the song playing around them. Still, April thought Jo looked beyond adorable looking around them trying to find an answer to this impromptu performance.

Suddenly, lightning bugs came out of the trees around them, illuminating the before dimly lit area, and more importantly illuminating Jo’s beautiful brown eyes, or at least that’s what April’s chose to focus on.

“Jo? Did you have anything to do with this?” Asked April, now holding the water lily with one hand and Jo’s hand with the other and smiling.

Jo calmed down and swallowed hard, looking for the words to answer.

“Kind of? I swear I didn’t know what was going to happen.” April simply laughed again.

“It’s amazing.” April kept smiling, looking around the magical scene.

Jo finally relaxed, watching as the girl she so dearly loved had the biggest smile on her face with every new surprise Mal (or at least she hoped this was Mal’s doing) threw at them.

_Now's your moment_

_Floating in a blue lagoon_

_Girl, you better do it soon_

_No time will be better_

_She don't say a word_

_And she won't say a word_

_Until you kiss the girl (kiss the girl)…_

Jo leaned closer to April, grabbing both her hands now, and focusing on April’s beautiful hazel eyes. Jo knew if she were to think about anything else right now, this small drop of courage that washed over her suddenly would be lost, so she tried to make the most of it.

“April, I…” She said softly, leaning even closer to April.

They were now inches apart from each other and every breath they took felt like an eternity.

_Sha la la la la_

_Don't be scared_

_You got the mood prepared_

_Go on and kiss the girl_

_Sha la la la la_

_Don't stop now_

_Don't try to hide it how_

_You wanna kiss the girl_

“So, are you going to do what the song says or should I?” April asked, her forehead leaned against Jo’s and a playful smile on her lips.

_You've got to kiss the girl_

_Why don't you kiss the girl?_

_You've got to kiss the girl_

_Kiss the girl, kiss the girl_

Jo let out a small laugh and closed her eyes to oblige, closing the space between her and April’s lips, for the long awaited kiss. April’s hand went to gently grab the back of Jo’s head, getting her fingers through her dark hair, April couldn’t help but think about how soft it felt and how she wanted to run her fingers through Jo’s hair for as long as long as she could. Jo gently cupped her face in return, her skin soft and warm to the touch, as the both of them adjusted to the kiss. 

_You've got to kiss the girl_

_Why don't you kiss the girl?_

_You've got to kiss the girl_

_Kiss the girl, kiss the girl_

_You've got to kiss the girl_

_You've got to kiss the girl_

The song continued playing softly around them, fading to the last part of the song.

_Whoa, kiss the girl, kiss the girl_

_You've got to kiss the girl_

_You've got to kiss the girl_

_Whoa, kiss the girl, kiss the girl_

Finally, last few notes of the song played out, and Jo and April parted from their kiss, foreheads still pressed on each other, a shy smile on their lips and blushing profusely, not that either of them had noticed.

Another thing they didn’t noticed, not only because they were so far away but because right now nothing in the world existed but them and the boat, was their friends, now all reunited on shore, celebrating, cheering and high fiving each other for their success. Molly leaned in to give Mal a small kiss, overwhelmed by the cuteness of it all and proud of her girlfriend for coordinating such an operation.

Jen smiled and cheered next to Ripley, who threw her fists in the air and high fived Barney. Hes hugged Diane, much less cranky now after the achievement. Wren wiped a tear from her eyes, mostly at the successful sound ensemble she had put together and Emily and Mackenzie cheered on, happy as everyone else.

The mermaids celebrated on their end of the lake too, after such an awesome performance.

“So, you had nothing to do with this, huh? Asked April, who was now leaning on Jo’s side with the taller girl’s arm wrapped around her.

They decided to stay on the canoe for a while longer, enjoying the remnants of the surprise performance and mostly, each other’s company.

“I never said that.” Jo defended with a smile. “I knew something was going to happen. I just didn’t know what. It was a surprise for me too.”

“Don’t worry, I could tell by your face.” April teased.

“Well, luckily it all ended great. That was my part of the plan.” Jo said, putting her head on top of April’s.

“Yeah, it did end great…” April huddled closer, on her new favorite spot in the world as Jo hugged her tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to my best friend for helping me develop the story that had been goign through my head for weeks!


End file.
